Rigorous decomposition methods for planning and scheduling of energy networks

气候变化、能源安全和公众对可持续性的认识是推动多能源系统研究和开发的核心因素。多能源系统是由能源的产生、转换、运输、储存和消费单元组成的能源网络，其中涉及多种能源载体，如天然气、电和热。提出的研究计划的目标规划和调度的能源网络，这是实现最佳的网络性能，以最佳的方式协调网络单元。这是一个困难的决策问题，因为该问题需要包括非线性模型，以准确描述潜在的物理-化学关系，并且该问题需要包括整数变量，用于对单元进行是/否和开/关决策。现有的决策问题的方法只提供近似的解决方案，这可能是不可行的或远离最佳。 拟议研究计划的主要目标是开发严格的优化方法，以“分而治之”的概念解决问题。具体来说，该方法将利用问题的可分解结构，并通过解决一组更容易的子问题来解决问题。方法的严谨性保证了解的可行性和最优性。此外，我们还将开发新的建模策略，可以平衡模型的准确性和解决方案的效率。 该研究计划包括未来五年的四个主题。在第一个主题中，我们将开发的非线性规划和调度模型，结合天然气和电力网络，在多区域水平和单区域水平，分别。在第二个主题中，我们将开发不同的严格优化方法，这些方法可以沿着时间，空间，逻辑和场景维度分解问题。在第三个主题中，我们将协调建模和算法开发，即，对于预定义的精度，我们将通过混合整数线性子模型来近似模型的部分，使得部分近似模型的算法开发容易得多。在第四个主题中，我们将开发微电网和由多个微电网组成的区域能源网络的非线性多能源模型。 研究计划的结果将有助于多个学科，包括能源系统工程，规划和调度，以及运筹学。该研究项目将产生先进的全球优化软件，为能源网络的离线设计或实时运营提供可靠高效的决策工具，帮助加拿大的能源和制造业实现高效，可持续和环保的运营。

Climate change, energy security, and public awareness in sustainability are among the central factors that have motivated the research and development of multi-energy systems. Multi-energy systems are energy networks comprising energy generation, conversion, transport, storage, and consumption units, where multiple energy carriers, such as gas, electricity, and heat, are involved. The proposed research program targets planning and scheduling of energy networks, which is to achieve the best network performance by coordinating the network units in an optimal way. This is a difficult decision-making problem, in that the problem needs to include nonlinear models for accurate description of the underlying physical-chemical relationships, and that the problems needs to include integer variables for yes/no and on/off decisions on the units. Existing methods for the decision-making problem only provides approximate solutions, which may be infeasible or far from the best. The primary goal of the proposed research program is to develop rigorous optimization methods that tackle the problem with the notion of "divide and conquer". Specifically, the methods will exploit the decomposable structure of the problem, and solve the problem via solving a set of much easier subproblems. The rigorousness of the methods ensures the feasibility and optimality of the solutions. In addition, we will also develop novel modeling strategies that can balance the model accuracy and solution efficiency. The research program includes four topics for the next five years. In the first topic, we will develop nonlinear planning and scheduling models for combined gas and power networks, at a multi-region level and at a single-region level, respectively. In the second topic, we will develop different rigorous optimization methods that can decompose the problem along temporal, spatial, logical, and scenario dimensions. In the third topic, we will coordinate the modeling and algorithmic development, i.e., we will approximate parts of the model by mixed-integer linear submodels for a predefined precision, such that the algorithmic development for the partially approximated model is a lot easier. In the fourth topic, we will develop nonlinear multi-energy models for a microgrid and a regional energy network consisting of multiple mircrogrids. The results of the research program will contribute to multiple disciplines, including energy systems engineering, planning and scheduling, and operations research. The research program will yield advanced global optimization software, which will enable reliable and efficient decision-making tools for offline design or real-time operation of energy networks, helping Canada's energy and manufacturing industries to achieve efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly operations.